Moving House

[Norr64]

Vendor accepted our offer. A short time after he moved some tenants in ‘as a favour’. He had dragged his feet with providing the required legal documents. We now find that the tenants wanted to buy the property but cannot get a mortgage. Vendor says he is committed to selling to us but now says the tenants don’t want to leave.
We are completing on our house sale on 20.9.2018!!!! We won’t have anywhere to live if these people won’t move out. They have been given notice and don’t have a contract. Any ideas?

Have you exchanged? Until you have exchanged the completion date isn’t set. You need vacant possession so if they haven’t gone, don’t exchange. He either gets them out or you pull out. If he wants to sell then he’ll sort it. Just because their initial tenancy period has expired doesn’t mean there isn’t a contract btw.

No, we haven’t exchanged yet. Thank you so much for that. It was my gut instinct but my partner thought if we exchanged that we would have more say. We have a meeting with the vendor on Tuesday but my instincts tell me that we won’t get too many answers.

Definately don't exchange until vacant, you solicitor will advise on this.
How much do you want the house, I'd start looking elsewhere, as even if the current ownertroes to evict it could take months

I definitely won’t exchange. I really can’t trust the vendor. He obviously moved these tenants in with a view of selling to them. They have laid carpet and put up blinds and decorated a few rooms and now that it transpires that they can’t get a mortgage, he wants to sell to us. We were obviously the second choice. I just wish he’d have refused our offer. It’s going to take a while now to start another lot of conveyancing, let alone the cost of storage and a short term let and I really don’t know what to do about mail. I have nowhere to redirect it to. Is this were a P.O.Box comes in?

Hang on - have you exchanged on your own house sale? You say you are completing on 20.9.18 - that's six weeks away, but it might be long enough to complete on another purchase if you find somewhere else. I'd get looking as a priority. You must have known it was a risk not to tie in your sale and your purchase.

If you proceed and exchange without vacant possession you could end up owning the house complete with tenants in situ. It's a big risk.

You can use a poste restante service at a local post office for your mail.

Are they relatives of him?
Tbh i would just start looking again. At best you have a non legally enforceable promise to sell to you (like all house purchases in england). So you have to pay constant attention to behaviour and messages.
He wont be able get rid of them for mid sept even if he starts legal action tomorrow

I made a typo on the completion date for our sale in the previous post. It’s actually 10.9.2018. I did know that de linking would be risky but I couldn’t not afford to lose the buyer of our place. We have had a few offers before, which fell through.
I have arranged house viewings for next week. I think it’s only sensible. Thank you for the mail advice @wowfudge.
Thank you all. I will post after Tuesday’s meeting but any advice is always welcome.

do not exchange. that makes you the new landlord on completion and then you will have to evict. and you get all the landlord responsibility too.

forget this place and look to rent for six months. Sorry. at least with nothing to sell you will be strong buyers.

We met with the vendor. He has served an S21 and also offered these ‘tenants’ alternative accommodation to the same standard as they are in now but they say ‘we love this house’. They have also stopped paying him rent. It has emerged that they have several eviction notices from other properties they have lived in. We have found a short term rent and are actively viewing other properties. It could take months to evict these people. I feel I have to walk away, it’s just proving too stressful.

Of course you have to walk away !!
You would just inherit the problem of tenants who don’t pay rent and won’t leave.
Why would you want to do that ?

It is frustrating but this isnt meant to be.
Bet you find something better and will thank your lucky stars.
Happy house hunting

Thank you all, for all your wise words.
Its been helpful to be able to air it all and very good to get feedback to back up my thoughts. Thanks again.